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Author Notes:This recipe of doughnuts is inspired from Chef Suvir Saran's recipe of cardamom pistachio cake. I made his cake into doughnuts over the holidays and sent them to my secret santa swap. Its one of my favorite recipes of using pistachios and cardamom, two of my favorite flavors. I cook a lot with sesame seeds. In some recipes they work more like garnishes and in some they are the star of the recipe. In this particular recipe also they are the stars. I used partly cashews because over use of sesame seeds could make it taste bitter. You can swap almond meal also if you do not want to use cashews. I loved the combination so much, I made another batch of it and sent it to someone to test it. The icing adds to the taste so much. the nuttiness from the seeds and nuts and the addition of citrus makes it a real great combination. —PistachioDoughnut

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Makes 2 dozens

Doughnuts

½ cup slightly roasted black sesame seeds

½ cup toasted cashews

13 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup all purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar

½ cup whole milk

Icing

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons fresh lemon or orange juice

1 teaspoon milk

1/2 tsp of white or black sesame seeds to decorate

To make the doughnuts - Pre heat oven at 350 degrees. Toast the cashews for about 5 minutes in the oven. Remove them and toast the sesame seeds for just 2 minutes, they will toast quickly. Let them cool down completely; one by one pulse them in food processor or spice grinder. Just make sure not to over process as it will then start removing the oils and convert into butter. We do not want that. Leave it aside.

Grease the doughnut pans with butter. Mix all the dry ingredients like flour, salt, baking powder and keep it aside.

Cream the butter and sugar until nice and fluffy, and they look pale in color. Add eggs one at a time, and vanilla. Mix alternatively flour and milk ;until everything used. Scrape the bowl as necessary.

Mix in the crushed cashews and sesame seeds with a spatula. Using a piping bag, fill the doughnut pan with the mixture. Let them bake for about 15- 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Also, the doughnuts might leave the edges as they are baked. Another way to find out if they are done or not.Let them cool completely on a cooling rack.

Icing- Meanwhile the doughnuts are cooling, make the icing. Sift the sugar into a bowl , add in the lemon / orange juice along with milk.
Once the doughtnuts cool off, pick them one by one by hands and dip them into the icing. Sprinkle them with some sesame seeds on top most corner of the doughnuts. Enjoy!